Carpet anchoring strip



Oct. 13, 1953 J. M. PATERSON ET AL CARPET ANCHORING STRIP Filed Sept. 6,1950 FIG. 2.

. INVENTORS. GEORGE M. PATERSON: JOHN M. PATERSON ATTORNEY Patented Oct.13, 1953 CARPET AN CHORIN G STRIP John M. Paterson, Glendale, and GeorgeM. Paterson, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 6, 1950, Serial N 0. 183,448

7 Claims. 1

A more detailed object of our present invention 1 is to provide a carpetanchoring strip having a metal base portion and improved means forelevating the base above the floor so as to compensate for therelatively greater thickness of the padding underlying the carpet, ascompared with the thin, sheet metal base of the strip, and therebydisposing the upper surface of the strip substantially flush with theupper surface of the padding to provide a substantially flat support forthe carpet throughout the entire area thereof.

A further object in this connection is to provide a carpet-anchoringstrip of the general character described in which the base-elevatingelement is characterized by a degree of yieldability to insure, againstthe transmission of vibration for any material distance therethrough,and thereby being made capable of overcoming one of the principaldisadvantages of more common carpet strips, as will be explained ingreater detail below.

A still further object is to provide a carpet strip, the base portion ofwhich is of sheet metal, and which is provided with means for adaptingthe strip for installation in curved lines, as around the base of acircular column, without, however, detracting to any material extent,from the inherent rigidity and strength of the strip as installed instraight lines, as along the base of a straight wall.

Yet another object of our present invention is to provide a novel andespecially efiicient design for the carpet-engaging prongs or teeth of acarpet-anchoring strip of the general character indicated.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the followingdescription of the preferred forms of our invention which areillustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of thespecification. It is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves tothe showing made by the said drawings and description, as we may adoptvariations of the preferred forms within the scope of our invention asset forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a length of metal base carpetanchoring strip incorporating the principles of the present invention. Aportion of the figure is broken away to reduce its length.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section taken through the carpetanchoring strip of Figure 1, but drawn to an enlarged scale and showingthe manner of installation of the strip as well as the manner ofattachment of the carpet thereto.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the strip of Figure 1, but drawnapproximately to the scale of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view drawn to still more highlyenlarged scale, with the plane of section indicated by the line 4-4 ofFigure 2, to show with a greater degree of clarity the precisearrangement of the carpet-anchoring prongs.

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through amodified form of carpet anchoring strip incorporating the principles ofthe present invention.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing still anothermodified form.

In accordance with the present invention, our improved carpet anchoringstrip, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, comprises a baseportion I I of sheet metal preferably of the order of 1 1;" thick and ofsuitable Width to accommodate the various features characterizing thestrip to be described in detail hereinbelow. The base H is provided Witha plurality of upstanding rigid carpet anchoring teeth or prongs l2conveniently formed by severing each of them throughout the length ofboth their front and back edges [3 and M respectively from the bottom ofthe base I l and then striking each prong i2 from the plane of the baseI l by bending it upwardly about a line or axis 16 at the base of theprong. The die, or dies, as the case might be, by means of which thisdescribed severing and striking is performed, are so designed that theplane of each prong extends obliquely to the front and back longitudinaledges l! and I8 respectively of the base ll. More exactly, the extent ofobliquity issuch that a line H! (see Fig. 4) drawn from the front corner2| in the base of each prong l2 to the diagonally opposite corner 22would be substantially perpendicular to the front and back edges I1 and58 respectively of the base II. The importance of this detail ofconstruction arises from the fact that pressure exerted by a carpetagainst each prong I2 is substantially transverse with respect to thebase I l, consequently substantially parallel to or coincident with theimaginary line [9. It is desirable, of course, to have each prongpresent as great an extent of surface to the carpet resisting the forceexerted by the carpet against the prong and yet to design the prongsonly so large as is necessary to enable them to resist being broken offor bent by that force. If the prongs are made any larger than necessaryfor them; to bepossessed of the requisite strength, it will: befoundthat when the carpet is impaled thereon they have too great a tendencyto sever the fibers of which the fabric of the carpet is composed ratherthan.- toimerely force them aside as the prong passes therebetween. Theideal arrangement:v for 2; prong of a given size as far as itscapability si -"resistingforce exerted thereagainst by a carpet is,con.- cerned is with its side faces parallel to the direction of suchforce because of the greater.

modulus of a rectangular section, the longer sides of. which. areparallel; to aforce; tending; to bend or break the member. Onthe other,hand, themost. desirable. arrangementfor. a prong as far. as itsbeingable to: avoid tearing; the carpetis with the broadest faces of theprong normal to. the direction. of the forcewhich: the carpet. exertsagainst the. prong. These two. desirable characteristics of: a. prongare; the e. i ri cally opposedtoeach. other with the resultthat, whenboth. of these important, requirements of a prong are. taken. into.consideration, the most nearly ideal,arrangementionaprong is as-.here.--inabove described, to wit, arranged obliquely with. a. diagonaltaken.through thev rectangular. base of. a. prong paralleLt-o or; coincidingwiththe direction in which-.the carpet; exerts. force against, theprong. The combinedol? total. area. of the front edgel3 and a;sidefacaZB-of a.prong,.projected onto a plane parallel totheJQngitudinaI, edges I.1.and.l.8 of; thehase H; and',.hence,.nor.-maltothedirectionof theforce exertedby car:- pet. against the prongwill,. when. the. prong. is. thus arranged, be at amaximum;.without,.how ever, decreasing. the: modulus. of; the section.of

the prong consideredwith respect to.-that..prongs..

ability to. withstand. being. bent: or. broken. by: a force exerted. bythe carpet. against the". prong;

As a precaution against-accidental slippingzof. the carpet from. theprongs ihafter. once having. beenimpaled thereupon, weprefenthatthe...forward edge. [3. of. eachprong incline .upWar-dsand; forwardsslightly, as best: shown .in. Figure. 2,. so that the force exerted by.the. carpetagainst; the; prong will develop-.resilientlforce; urgingthe118. 1:- pet. downwards .withrespecttozthey-prong; Morea over, at. itsupper; end. where. the. front; and: back;

edges 13. and. ii. come. together: in-. a; relatively. sharp. point,each prong is; preferably; deflected; slightly to oneside, as. atZ];andas: best. 1111,13? trated inFieure. 3.

Preferably. the; prongs: [2: are; of; such. length. that. whena carpetsuch; asthat; indicated; at: 31 in Figure 2 is engaged. thereupom eachprong. IL extends. throughv and to only, a. slight; distance above thebacking, 32, so, that. its upper; end; or; point 2? is sealedwithin and.protected by. the. upstanding pile 33.

Figure 2 illustrates theconventionahmanner. of mounting acarpetanchoringstripupon agfloor. 35 soas to serve as means forqanchoring anedge. 31 of a carpet.3| extendingalongthe,lowergedge, of a wall 38.However, in order to impart a;neat and finished appearance to the finalinstallation, the preferred. manner of. locating theanchoringstrip is.with itsforward edge,39. spaced .slightly; 7

from the wall 38 so that the extreme edge 31 can be forced downwardlythrough the space thus provided and tucked under the base I I, asillustrated at M, so concealing the extreme edge and also serving toprevent raveling in the event that an unsalvaged edge of the carpetoccurs at this particular location.

Means are provided for supporting the base portion M inv elevatedposition aboveathezfioor 35 far enough toaccommodate. the edge ii; underthe base H, as illustrated in Figure 2. However, the precise height atwhich the base H is to be supported. is determined more particularly bythe thickness of the padding 43 interposed between i the-.carpetB Iand=the floor 35, the most desirable arrangement being, of course, tosupport the uppersurfaceof. the basal l substantially flush with theupper surface of the padding 43, as illustrated iii-Figure 2., In themodification presently being described the means for supporting the baseH in this; relatively. elevated position comprises; a pluralitycfdownwardly extending flanges or legsas which also may be severed alongall but one.- edge; of. each legand struck from the plane? of the baseportion H, but in theoppositedirection, as compared withthe prongs l-2..Consequently,, an elongated aperture or slit H. is left-in; the base:portion H extending transversely, thereof; along side the upper end ofeach supporting flange orleg These slits M in; themselves servela usefulfunction inasmuch asthewebs Miand. 49at; the. ends of each slit AT andat the: forward and: after edges respectively. of thebase portion 1 Iare. relatively narrow. and hence; are readily easily; removable.- Aworkman can, with;an ordinary. pair'of tinsnips, severone. of'the-webs-associated; with, each slit 4'! so that the:slits, ,ineiTect;.eX- tend all. the way. totheedge of. thebase, leaving; the.segments: 5i of the, base ll between. slits.=4:1.: interconnected onlyby. the webs'aiong oneedge thereof. When. so altered, the base H; can beflexed in its own plane with comparative. ease and thus made to. conformto.,.say,.the;base; of.:a circular column in such amanner thatth-e.:carpet; anchoringstrip, insteadof extending in aastraight; line,followsia curvedline...conforming to. the:bas e. of the curved objectto;whichthe. carpetistobe;v fitted. The curve can ,of; course. by; made.either.- concave or convex asdeterminedbywhichpwebs; 48 ores.areremovedh However, the presence; of; the... transversely: 6X4- tendingslits. in the base portion. H. does .notdnipair. the inherent rigidity.eithebasezpnrtion bea foreyseverance: or. reinoyalof any of;- the webs:Ail-.1 or 59 because. of;the;fact:that.suchta webjis proe videdat eachendof each slit: 4-1: Both. ofthelongitudinal edges; of: the base;portion: i L: is left: continuous and unbroken because of thezpresenceiof the webs; at:l'iothpends,of. each: slit: and;.. consequently, thecarpetanchoringstrip;of:the:present: invention. is: possessed; ofsubstantially: the. same; amount ofstrength and rigidity.aswwouldibethee case were the slits 42 omitted entirely.

At: suitable. intervals throughout. the length. of

' the carpet anchoringstrip, preferably: ineach alternatesegmentil, anopening-52 1s provides-l to accomodatera: nail: 5'3 or-othersuitablefasten ing; device for securing the :strip-tothe floor 3'6. Inasmuch 1as: carp et: anchoring strips: of this na. ture; are: frequently.installed: upon a: concrete= floor, the. openings;52.preferably-arsedproper tinned. that conventional. concrete nails:having. relatively.- thick. shanks; can be accommodated. therein.However, the strip: is notglimited'touse; in connection withfasteners-.01 this-;-type-.inas.-

much as each nail hole 52 instead of being formed by severing materialcompletely from the base portion H are made by simply cutting alongitudinal extending slit 54 and a relatively short transverselyextending slit 56 at each end of the slit 54 and then by deflecting theedges of the slit 54 downwards between the two transverse slits 56, thusproducing a relatively narrow, longitudinally extending opening 51 tothe upper end of which a tapering entrance throat is defined by twoopposed downwardly and inwardly sloping flanges 58 (see Figure 2).Before a fastener is driven through the opening 51, it preferably isrelatively narrow so that when installation is being made upon a woodenfloor nails of relatively thin shanks can be employed; and yet, wheninstallation is being made upon a concrete floor, conventional concretenails 53 can be employed, it being understood that as the shank 53 ofsuch a nail is driven downwards between the flanges 58 they will be bentfar enough apart by the nail itself to permit the shank of the nail topass therebetween and on into the concrete floor 36. The relatively widedepression 59 thus formed in the upper face of the base portion l Iserves to receive the head of the nail 53 so that the head iscountersunk within the base portion I l to provide a substantiallyuninterruptedly smooth surface to support the carpet 3|.

The downwardly and inwardly sloping flanges 58 also offer convenience byserving to support the nail 53 substantially erect when only its pointhas been forced between the two flanges 58 as by means of a light tapwith a carpet layers hammer. This permits the workman to let go of thenail after it has thus been initially positioned, and then to drive ithome with heavier blows without danger of injury.

Preferably supplementary nail holes 6| are provided in the base portionll through which relatively light nails may be driven either as aninitial step in locating the carpet anchoring strip or as an additionalmeans of adding a measure of security to the firmness with which thestrip is fastened down.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate respectively, modifled forms of the carpetanchoring strip of the present invention in which the means forsupporting the base portion ll above the floor 36' take the form ofsolid strips of material instead of the spacedapart legs struck from andextending downward from the base portion. One of the difficultiesfrequently encountered by workmen installing carpet anchoring strips ofthis general character, particularly when installation is being madeupon concrete, is that when a nail is being driven home, the hammerblows set up vibrations in the strip which travel along the strip andhave the tendency to loosen the nail previously driven in an adjacentnail hole. Consequently, one of the features of the present invention isto provide means for supporting the base II upon the floor 33' whichmeans are of a materially cushioning or yieldable nature so that it willserve as means for dampening the vibrations which hammer blows otherwisewould be apt to set up in the base portion H to the detriment of thesecurity with which previously driven nails hold the strip to the floor.Figure 5, for example, illustrates the supporting means in the nature ofa strip H of fibrous, paper board, such as that conventionally employedfor wall board. Material of this nature is possessed of an ample degreeof yieldability to accomplish the purposes hereinabove referred to andyet is sufficiently resilient to provide ample support for the baseportion ll of the strip to hold it in the exact position desired so thatthe upper surface of the base portion ll remains substantially flushwith the padding material 43. Other forms of paper products also havebeen found satisfactory for this purpose, such as strips of pressboard,chipboard, printers binder board and the like, although the wallboard Hpreviously referred to has been found preferable because of its greaterdegree of yieldability. Owing to the fibrous, and hence relativelyabsorbent nature of these paper products, and particularly wheninstallation is being made upon concrete floors 36 a supporting. stripll of this nature should be protected from moisture that might otherwisebe conveyed to it by the concrete, as by a layer of tarpaper 12 orsimilar impervious material. This strip 12 of impervious material may bedisposed. only under the strip ll of cushioning material or, asillustrated in Figure 5, it may extend throughout the entire area of thefloor being carpeted so that it also offers protection against dampnessfor the padding material 43. Figure 6 is similar in most respects to theshowing of Figure 5, with the exception that the paddin and supportingmaterial are employed as a strip 13 of plywood; and here again theimpervious layer 12 such as tarpaper should be employed to protect thestrip 73 alone or both the strip 13 and the padding material 43".

We claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a carpetholding device comprising asheet metal strip, means for fastening said strip to a floor in positionto underlie a piece of carpet adjacent and substantially parallel to anedge thereof, and a plurality of prongs upstanding from said strip, eachof said prongs being severed from said strip along all edges of saidprong except its base and being bent upwardly from the plane of saidstrip about an axis in the base of said prong extending obliquely withrespect to the longitudinal edges of said strip whereby each of saidprongs presents both a side face and an edge to carpet to oppose tensionin said carpet exerted in a direction transverse to said strip.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a carpetholding device comprising asheet metal strip, means for fastening said strip to a floor in positionto underlie apiece of carpet adjacent and substantially parallel to anedge thereof, and a plurality of prongs upstanding from said strip, eachof said prongs being severed from said strip along all edges of saidprong except its base and being bent upwardly from the plane of saidstrip about an axis in the base of said prong, each of said prongs beingdisposed with its base in a position of obliquity with respect to thelongitudinal edges of said strip whereby each of said prongs presentsboth a side face and an edge to carpet to oppose tension in said carpetexerted in a direction transverse to said strip.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a carpetholding device comprising asheet metal strip, means for fastening said strip to a floor in positionto underlie a piece of carpet adjacent and substantially parallel to anedge thereof, and a plurality of prongs upstanding from said strip, eachof said prongs being severed from said strip along all edges of saidprong except its base and being bent upwardly from the plane of saidstrip about an axis in the base of said prong extending obliquely withrespect to the longitudinal edges of said strip whereby each of saidprongs presents both a side face and an edge to carpet to. opposetension in said carpet exerted in a direction transverse to said strip,the upper end of each of said prongs being pointed and deflectedlaterally to present an obstruction resisting displacement of carpetfrom said prong.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a carpetholding device comprising asheet metal strip comprising a plurality of segments separated from eachother by transversely extending slits and webs integral with saidsegments and closing both ends of all of said slits, each of said websbeing removable to permit collapsing the proximal end of the associatedslit to impart curvature to said strip, means for fastening said stripto a floor in position to underlie a piece of carpet adjacent andsubstantially parallel to an edge thereof, and a plurality of prongsupstanding from said strip, each of said prongs being severed from saidstrip along all edges of said prong except its base and being bentupwardly from the plane of said strip about an axis in the base of saidprong extending obliquely with respect to the longitudinal edges of saidstrip whereby each of said prongs presents both a side face and an edgeto carpet to oppose tension in said carpet exerted in a directiontransverse to said strip, the upper end of each of said prongs beingpointed and deflected laterally to present an obstruction resistingdisplacement of carpet from said prong.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a carpetholding device comprising asheet metal strip, means for fastening said strip to a floor in positionto underlie a piece of carpet adjacent and substantially parallel to anedge thereof, means for supporting said strip in position elevated abovesaid floor with its upper surface substantially flush with under-carpetpadding, and a plurality of prongs upstanding from said strip, each ofsaid prongs being severed from said strip along all edges of said prongexcept its base and being bent upwardly from the plane of said stripabout an axis in the base of said prong extending obliquely with respectto the longitudinal edges of said strip whereby each of said prongspresents both a side face and an edge to carpet to oppose tension insaid carpet exerted in a direction transverse to said strip.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a carpetholding device comprising asheet metal strip, means for fastening said strip to a floor in positionto underlie apiece of carpet adjacent andsubstantially parallel to anedge thereof, means for supporting said strip in position elevated abovesaid floor with its upper surface substantially flush with under-carpetpadding, said supporting means being spaced inwardly from the edge ofsaid strip proximal to said edge of said carpet whereby said edge ofsaid carpet can be turned back under said edge of said strip, and a.plurality of prongs upstanding from said strip, each of said prongsbeing severed from said strip along all edges of said prong except itsbase and being bent upwardly from the plane of said strip about an axisin the base of said prong extending obliquely with respect to thelongitudinal edges of said strip whereby each of said prongs presentsboth a side face and an edge to carpet to oppose tension in said carpetexerted in a directiontransverse to said strip.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a carpetholding device comprising asheet metal strip, means for fastening said strip to a floor inpositionto underlie a piece of carpet adjacent and substantially parallel to anedge thereof, a strip of cushioning material substantially more yieldingthan said sheet metal strip underlying said sheet metal strip andsupporting it in elevated position above said floor, and a plurality ofprongs upstanding from said strip, each of said prongs being severedfrom said strip along all edges of said prong except its base and beingbent upwardly from the plane of said strip about an axis in the base ofsaid prong extending obliquely with respect to the longitudinal edges ofsaid stripwhereby each of said prongs presents both a side face and anedge to carpet to oppose tension in said carpet exerted in a directiontransverse to said strip.

JOHN M. PATERSON. GEORGE M. PATERSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 541,703 VanDervoort June 25, 1895 569,525 Sullivan Oct. 13,1896 665,855 Warner Jan. 8, 1901 831,179 McDonagh Sept. 18, 19061,128,061 Schroeter Feb. 9, 1915 1,847,373 Awbrey Mar. 1, 1932 2,211,574McNicholas Aug. 13, 1940 2,514,335 Qwens July 4, 1950 2,554,674 KarasMay 29, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 110,463 Australia May9, 1940

